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Hillary and Bill (Not That One) Together Again

By Michael Falcone July 30, 2008 5:14 pmJuly 30, 2008 5:14 pm

After endorsing her former rival, Senator Barack Obama, during the primaries, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is back in Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s corner, this time to help Mrs. Clinton retire her remaining campaign debt.

Mr. Richardson announced on Wednesday that he would be the host for two fund-raisers for the New York senator in New Mexico next month. The events will take place in Santa Fe and Albuquerque on Aug. 17.

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Richardson, who was also a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination before dropping out of the race in January, will attend both fund-raisers.

Some Clinton supporters considered Mr. Richardson’s endorsement of Mr. Obama a snub to Mrs. Clinton and former president Bill Clinton. The three had been longtime political allies, and Mr. Richardson served as energy secretary during the Clinton administration.
In a statement, Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, signaled his support for the fund-raisers as did Clinton spokeswoman Kathleen Strand.

“Senator Clinton is grateful for Governor Richardson’s and Senator Obama’s efforts to assist with retiring her campaign debt and she is looking forward to continuing to campaign for Senator Obama and help ensure victory for Democrats throughout the country this fall,” Ms. Strand said.

It takes money to run and win a campaign. Sen. Clinton’s debt is secondary to Sen. Obamas Presidential race. Therefore he can not run full time to retire her debt which he had nothing to do. He’s quite kind to help. I would not since she stayed in a race way to long and piled up debt trying to accomplish something that by mid April was not attainable. And I’m quite sure most of the hurt feelings of those Clinton supporters can vote for John McCain/Bush ticket. While your at it, go ahead and show your true Republican colors and join the party. It’s not that serious!!!!!
gw

Bill Richardson still hasn’t raised enough to pay off his debts, how is he going to help raise money to pay off Sen Clinton’s? This is just a political stunt to show unity in case Bill Richardson is chosen as VP.

Politicians have a long tradition of helping retire their opponents campaign debt. Hillary Clinton helped to retire Tom Vilsack’s debt after he dropped out of the Democratic primary. John McCain, pressed as he was for money, urged his backers not just to donate to the retired campaign of Rudy Giuliani, but even to hold fundraisers specifically for that purpose.

I can hear it now: “But Clinton accumulated the majority of her debt after it was clear that Obama would be the nominee.” Technically this isn’t true. Neither candidate had the necessary delegates to win until the superdelegates made their choice to push Obama over the finish line. Until that point Clinton had every right to keep going with her campaign; Pelosi and the majority of Democratic Senators said as much.

It was clear in February after Super Tuesday that Senator Clinton could not win the primary election and clear in March after Texas and Ohio that she lacked the momentum to persuade the superdelegates to support her. All money spent after that was spent on the vanity of Senator Clinton and her supporters, to make them feel good about themselves. Let those who felt good about it pay for it.

You have to understand the game of politics to know how important it is for Obama and all those who endorsed Obama over Clinton to help Hillary pay off her debt. Politics is the classic “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours” Obama has not been in the game long enough to know where he will stand if he does not win in November and did not seem to do enough to help raise funds for debt repayment. Esp. since he is asking Hillary’s biggest fund raisers to come aboard. I understand and I am not in politics.

Hillary Clinton has already raised $5,000,000 for Obama’s campaign. Paying her debt should only be a problem if she was going to do nothing for Obama. The plans are her to raise $100,000,000 for Obama’s campaign and she is only asking help for raising $10,000,000 to retire her debt. Ten to one is a pretty good deal I would say. Also in reference to another post- Hillary Clinton did NOT break any rules in asking for a re vote of Florida and Michigan that Obama’s lawyers blocked. She also did not QUITE win the popular vote, if it is counted fairly (counting Florida and Michigan, but also counting Michigan’s “uncommitted votes” for Obama there as well as counting Caucus states). This is mainly because the turnout was very lackluster in Puerto Rico. If twice as many people voted there, she would have won the overall popular vote. I don’t buy the argument that the popular vote in territories should not have mattered- if they have primaries, their votes should count.

It is absolutely mind-boggling that there are people who would seriously choose to pay of the debts of a multi-multi millionaire when there are millions of people going hungry on the planet.

Mark Penn, who will receive the lion’s share of that money, has made a phenomenal fortune spinning the facts for a rogue’s gallery of nefarious clients ranging from big tobacco, to Blackwater, to the Columbian government.

The fact that anyone would choose to fill his pockets with their extra cash instead of donating it to starving Ethiopians or finding a cure for breast cancer is an extremely sad statement. Do they really think he needs the money more than starving people? Do they really think the Clintons, who spend their lives in limos and private jets need that money more than AIDS researchers?

Bill Clinton makes more for one short speaking engagement ($250k) than most Americans make in 5 years. And people are worried about settling their campaign debt for them?! Astonishing. We really need to get our priorities straight.

I have always respected Governor Bill Richardson and was very disappointed when he endorsed Barak Obama. Obviously my candidate was HRC but I can’t imagine being called anything worse than Judas (Iscariot). With his good will gesture he will be able to remedy the lingering perception among many HRC supporters that he is disloyal and duplicitous.

“some of her backers have indicated that they are unsatisfied with the pace of the Obama campaign’s fund-raising efforts on Mrs. Clinton’s behalf”

We hear on a daily basis how Obama is rolling in dough. The fact that he has not sent out so much as an email to all of his contributors to send money to retire the debt shows that he has no resolve to help her. He frankly has no character. And this is going to be his downfall in this election. Simple choice, McCain has character, Obama does not.

In my opinion, Bill Richardson would make a great VP. While he swore his allegiance to Obama back in the primaries, his connections to the Hillary campaign are still strong enough to win over the Clinton voters. And let’s not forget… Obama needs to seriously step up his game when it comes to Hispanic/Latino voters. Richardson can help him win those easily, and they’ll want to re-elect Obama and Richardson if they can reform immigration. Plus, Richardson’s just a great personality. What’s not to love about an intelligent man who loves his wife and looks like he wants to give you a hug the first time you meet him?

The fact that he has not sent out so much as an email to all of his contributors to send money to retire the debt shows that he has no resolve to help her.

— Posted by steve pesce

I think every Obama supporter I know has made rude remarks about the idea of paying Clinton’s bills. Obama has enough sense not to send out an email that would make him look like he is completely out of touch.

steve pesce – 8:57 – “We hear on a daily basis how Obama is rolling in dough. The fact that he has not sent out so much as an email to all of his contributors to send money to retire the debt shows that he has no resolve to help her. He frankly has no character. And this is going to be his downfall in this election. Simple choice, McCain has character, Obama does not.”

———-

Oh I see. So Obama and Hillary both enter a contest of their own free will. Hillary runs an excessively negative campaign against Obama. She can’t keep track of how much money she is spending, and goes waaay over budget, using her money to deface her opponent’s character…

Obama wins without stooping to negative attacks, he asks his supporters to help pay Clinton’s debt, and he still has no character?

And then you base your vote on how much effort Obama puts into paying off Clinton’s debt, while he’s in a full-on battle with McCain?

If each of Clinton’s fans(18 million) donate just $1.50 per person, her debt would be a non-issue. Winning the White House takes priority over Clinton’s debt. I find it mind-boggling that we are concerned how multi-millionaires will pay their bills.

How angry you all sound. You all forget the most important thing here. You can’t force someone to donate if they do not want to. The same goes for Hillary’s supporters – they are not rushing to support Obama – they simply do not want to. It’s amazing how Obama gets the blame because I don’t want to help Hillary settle her debt. What are you going do chain me down and force me to write her a cheque? If she really wants to settle her debt, she should give back all that money she wants to hold on to for 2012 and then people can re-donate it back to her for her debt.

I surely got an e-mail request from the Obama campaign asking me to help retire Sen Clinton’s debt. If I was emailed, I’ll bet everyone else was too. I am waiting to see how Sen Clinton does at the convention before I decide if I want to spend any of my money that way.

Notice that Richardson wouldn’t HAVE a political career without Bill and Hillary Clinton, but in yet another case of ignorance, Richardson jumps ship and joins the Obama camp and insults Hillary and Bill with his disgraceful “entitlement” comments.

If anything Obama struts around like he’s entitled to the Presidency, but get it wrong Bill missed again. No wonder Richardson was an average student in college, he had his eye on the keg party instead of the details of academia.

Easily misled, never going to win on the national stage, no legacy…Bill Richardson.

Obama has made it absolutely clear, he will not ask his small donors to donate to Hilary Clinton’s campaign because it is not fair for any hard working American (black, white, Hispanic, Latino, native, etc….)to use hard earnt money to bail out a campaign that ran up over-the-top debt all while employing scortched earth tactics.

For everyone, who wants to donate to the Clintons stop whining, donate your money, and stop trying to force hard working Americans to cough up thier money.

The same hard working Americans that Obama ridicules while sipping wine in San Francisco? Give me a break.

Hillary has two “L’s” not one.
And I haven’t a clue what “earnt” is.

And finally

“Race Man
How Barack Obama played the race card and blamed Hillary Clinton.

Sean Wilentz, The New Republic Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

After several weeks of swooning, news reports are finally being filed about the gap between Senator Barack Obama’s promises of a pure, soul-cleansing “new” politics and the calculated, deeply dishonest conduct of his actually-existing campaign.”

Read this article if you dare…and write Senator Clinton a letter of apology.

President Obama drew criticism on Thursday when he said, “we don’t have a strategy yet,” for military action against ISIS in Syria. Lawmakers will weigh in on Mr. Obama’s comments on the Sunday shows.Read more…